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Firas Darwich
Firas Darwich

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Stop Leaking API Keys: Why I Built a Local-First Vault for Developers ๐Ÿ”

 Weโ€™ve all been there. You have a dozen side projects, and your API keys, database connection strings, and tokens are scattered across random .env files, sticky notes, or hidden in random folders.

Worse? The constant anxiety of accidentally pushing a .env file with your OpenAI or AWS keys to a public GitHub repo.

I looked around for a solution. While there are great password managers out there, they felt like overkill for my daily dev workflow, or they forced me to store my sensitive developer secrets on someone else's cloud server. I wanted something local, fast, and built specifically for developers.

So, I built DevNote ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ.

What is DevNote?

DevNote is a radically secure, local-first digital vault designed to help developers manage their API keys, tokens, and secrets safely right on their Windows machines.

As a .NET developer, I decided to build this using C# and Avalonia UI, applying Clean Architecture principles. For storage, I went entirely local with SQLite.

๐Ÿš€ Key Features:

  • Local-First & Offline: Your secrets never leave your machine unless you explicitly want them to.
  • Military-Grade Encryption: Everything is secured with AES-256 encryption.
  • Anti-Screenshot Protection: Built-in protection to prevent accidental screen recordings or screenshots of your keys.
  • BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) for AI: Full control over your AI integrations.

I need your feedback! ๐Ÿ™

I just launched the very first version of DevNote on the Microsoft Store. As a solo developer, getting feedback from this community would mean the world to me.

Whether it's a feature request, a bug report, or just telling me what you think of the UIโ€”I'm here for it!

๐Ÿ‘‰ Check out DevNote on the Microsoft Store

Let me know in the comments how you currently manage your local secrets and API keys!

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